Strain Sheet, Center Street Bridge, 1901

Designed by James Ritchie, Chief Engineering, and James T. Pardee, Bridge Engineer, both of the City of Cleveland, and built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland. This bridge over the Cuyahoga River in the Flats area of the city remains is use today.

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"The Center Street Bridge is one of the only remaining operable swing bridges in the state. It consists of a Pratt through truss, swing span 245 feet long and a girder span 62 feet long. It is called a rim-bearing, bobtail, swing bridge. 'Rim-bearing' means that the dead load of the swing span is supported by a circular girder near the periphery of the pivot pier instead of near its axis. 'Bobtail' means that the arms of the bridge projecting from the pivot pier are of unequal lengths. The bridge was extensively rehabilitated in 1950. At that time repairs were made to the trusses. The new floor system, roller assembly, track base and turning machinery were replaced. By 1982 the bridge was in generally poor condition [again]. The City of Cleveland, working with the State Historic Preservation Office, was able to rehabilitate the deficiencies without affecting the appearance or configuration of the bridge. The bridge was reopened to traffic in the summer of 1989."

From The Second Ohio Historic Bridge Inventory, Evaluation and Preservation Plans, Ohio Dept. of Transportation in cooperation with the Federal Highway Dept., 1990, pp. 147-8.